MLW wanted a certain piece of iron work and there is a small blacksmith
near by - so I called him up and he made it for us. I picked it up today
and got a chance to see his shop.

His 70 year old dad (he is in his 30's) has been a smith his whole life
and they have a pretty big, very Italian looking house with a giant shop
out the back. On the side is a traditional room, about 20 X 20 with a 15
foot ceiling, that is used to give classes and demos. It has a brick
floor and a coal forge, and all sorts of neat foot powered machinery.
There must have been 12-15 hand cranked blowers. A pair of tongs from
the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard that were 6 feet long and set up to grab
a piece of something that was round and about 9" in diameter. There were
small little anvils everywhere - things that would fit in your hand,
dozens of them. There was a bellows near the ceiling that they made out
of oak and white leather. Best thought, there were about 6-8 anvils that
weighted between 4-600 lbs, and one that weighed 800 pounds!

Fun day, and I will surely have him make something else for us!

Ed Minch

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Drools and wishes for photos*

Brian J.M. Rytel
brian.rytel@g...
------------------------------------------------------------------------

On May 22, 2012, at 18:12 , Brian Rytel <brian.rytel@g...> wrote:

> *Drools and wishes for photos*

If photos aren't forthcoming, I think Ed needs to produce an ASCII art
perspective drawing of the shop and its contents for taunting us like
this.

Adam
(also drooling, but maybe because it's dinnertime)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

On 23-May-12 11:00, Ed Minch wrote:
> there is a small blacksmith near by
> His 70 year old dad (he is in his 30's) has been a smith his whole life

Hi Ed, how small was he? Is his dad also small?
hehe

ducking and running.....

pjr

Peter Robinson
in Brisbane, Australia
where, as far as I know, there are no blacksmiths nearby, large or small
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sounds like a wonderful day! I love the feeling you get in ablacksmiths
shop, that if a huge wind or a couple of feet of waterswept thru the
place, very little would move. Never seen an anvil morethan 300#s.

Michael S

MLW wanted a certain piece of iron work and there is a small
blacksmithnear by
- so I called him up and he made it for us. I picked it up today andgot
  a chance to see his shop.

His 70 year old dad (he is in his 30's) has been a smith his whole
lifeand they have a pretty big, very Italian looking house with a giant
shop out theback. On the side is a traditional room, about 20 X 20 with
a 15 footceiling, that is used to give classes and demos. It has a brick
floor and a coal forge,and all sorts of neat foot powered machinery.
There must have been 12-15 handcranked blowers. A pair of tongs from the
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard thatwere 6 feet long and set up to grab a
piece of something that was round and about9" in diameter. There were
small little anvils everywhere - things thatwould fit in your hand,
dozens of them. There was a bellows near the ceiling thatthey made out
of oak and white leather. Best thought, there were about 6-8anvils that
weighted between 4-600 lbs, and one that weighed 800 pounds!

Fun day, and I will surely have him make something else for us!

Ed Minch

------------------------------------------------------------------------

My granddad started off as a farrier, but that trade fell off during the
first few decades of the 20th century so he went into blacksmithing,
primarily repairing farm equipment.  Putting new bottoms on plow shares was
one of his staples.  When I'd visit I was always intrigued by his work and
his belt driven machinery.  I was in New Zealand and smelled a smell that
was familiar, but I couldn't place it.  Finally dawned on me it was coal
smoke, a smell I hadn't smelled since my granddad retired in the 60's.

Phil

On Tue, May 22, 2012 at 6:32 PM, <nicknaylo@a...> wrote:

> Sounds like a wonderful day! I love the feeling you get in a blacksmiths
> shop, that if a huge wind or a couple of feet of water swept thru the
> place, very little would move.  Never seen an anvil more than 300#s.
>
> Michael S
>
>
>
> MLW wanted a certain piece of iron work and there is a small blacksmith
> near by
> - so I called him up and he made it for us.  I picked it up today and got a
> chance to see his shop.
>
> His 70 year old dad (he is in his 30's) has been a smith his whole life
> and they
> have a pretty big, very Italian looking house with a giant shop out the
> back.
> On the side is a traditional room, about 20 X 20 with a 15 foot ceiling,
> that is
> used to give classes and demos.  It has a brick floor and a coal forge,
> and all
> sorts of neat foot powered machinery.  There must have been 12-15 hand
> cranked
> blowers.  A pair of tongs from the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard that were 6
> feet
> long and set up to grab a piece of something that was round and about 9" in
> diameter.  There were small little anvils everywhere - things that would
> fit in
> your hand, dozens of them.  There was a bellows near the ceiling that they
> made
> out of oak and white leather.  Best thought, there were about 6-8 anvils
> that
> weighted between 4-600 lbs, and one that weighed 800 pounds!
>
> Fun day, and I will surely have him make something else for us!
>
>
> Ed Minch
>
> ------------------------------**------------------------------**
> ------------
> OldTools is a mailing list catering to the interests of hand tool
> aficionados, both collectors and users, to discuss the history, usage,
> value, location, availability, collectibility, and restoration of
> traditional handtools, especially woodworking tools.
>
> To change your subscription options:
>
http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/**mailman/listinfo/oldtools<http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools>
>
> To read the FAQ:
>
http://swingleydev.com/**archive/faq.html<http://swingleydev.com/archive/faq.html>
>
> OldTools archive:
http://swingleydev.com/**archive/<http://swingleydev.com/archive/>
>
> OldTools@r...**edu <OldTools@r...>
>
http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/**mailman/listinfo/oldtools<http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools>
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------

230303 	Phil Schempf wrote:
"...I was in New Zealand and smelled a smell that was familiar, but I couldn't
place it.  Finally dawned on me it was coal smoke, a smell I hadn't smelled
since my granddad retired in the 60's."

It seems you never forget that spicy coal-forge smell. Ten or fifteen years ago
I was visiting a small crafts center near Tuscaloosa and recognized the smell
instantly. The interesting thing is that I couldn't remember where or when I had
smelled it before. My best guess was that it had been thirty years or more, in
the early years of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire (around 1968) or maybe even
when taking riding lessons at summer camp in the early '60s. But I just don't
know.

Tom Conroy
Berkeley
------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Wed, May 23, 2012 at 7:39 AM, Thomas Conroy wrote:

> 230303 	Phil Schempf wrote:
> "...I was in New Zealand and smelled a smell that was familiar, but I 
> couldn't place it.  Finally dawned on me it was coal smoke
>
> It seems you never forget that spicy coal-forge smell.

Or the smell of a coal fired steam locomotive.

Ed
------------------------------------------------------------------------

For me, even the memory of the smell of a locomotive is swamped by the
memory of its sound: the way it really seems to be breathing, not just
making noise, and the shudder of its breath fills the air around you and
in you and makes your own breath and heartbeat move at the same rate.
That's another one I haven't experienced for a long time, not since the
middle '70s.

Tom Conroy


 Ed Bell wrote:
> Thomas Conroy wrote:
>
> > 230303 =A0=A0=A0 Phil Schempf wrote: "...I was in New Zealand and
> > smelled a smell that was
> familiar, but I couldn't place it.=A0 Finally dawned on me it was
> coal smoke
> >
> > It seems you never forget that spicy coal-forge smell.
>
> Or the smell of a coal fired steam locomotive.
>
> Ed
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ed just triggered a fond memory I wish to share with the Porch. I've
read a number of anecdotes that describe smells as a very powerful
memory trigger. Here's mine:

> > "...I was in New Zealand and smelled a smell that was familiar=2C
> > but I> > couldn't place it. Finally dawned on me it was coal smoke
> >
> > It seems you never forget that spicy coal-forge smell.
>> Or the smell of a coal fired steam locomotive.
>Ah=2C back in '87=2C about a year after my Mom had passed=2C my elderly
>father wanted to make a last sentimental journey to the small town in
>northern Maine=2C Patten=2C where he'd met my mother.

As we were passing through Connecticut=2C I had an inspiration for a
side trip that turned out perfectly. I detoured to The Valley RR in
Essex=2C CT. Our random arrival proved to be perfectly timed. I saw that
the steam train was out on the line. Pop and I got out=2C strolled
around looking at the static displays=2C which he found very
interesting. Then he heard the steam whistle of the train returning to
the station. Oh! You should have seen his face. "How did you know this
was here???!!!" he said. He had a great conversation with the engine
crew. As we were leaving he told me he'd never thought he'd see=2C
hear=2C and SMELL a steamer again. He mentioned it many times afterward.


Coal smoke & hot oil.......there's a CD album called "Songs of the Iron
Men" by Christian Williams. The best track is "Smoke on the Prairie"=2C
about the steam-powered threshing days.

"The smoke is gone from the prairie=2C and the boys from the
cookshack door.

The whistle is silent forever=2C and its call is heard no more."


John Ruth

                                          ------------------------------
                                          ------------------------------
                                          ------------

I grew up near the tracks and think I can remember steam locomotives going
by, but that is really vague and it was more likely diesels.  My only firm
recollection is riding a steam powered train to the top of the Brocken in
the Harz Mountains about 10 years ago.  Tried to catch a photo of the
locomotive coming around the bend, but my unfamiliarity with digital
shutter delay captured a nice photo of the side of the engine.  Rode most
of the way on the rear platform of the passenger car wrapped in coal smoke
and cinders.  I still need to ride the White Pass and Yukon steam train to
Fraser Meadows, but the locals are the last to take advantage of trips in
their own backyard.

Phil
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yeah, we used to get steam excursions through here a couple times
ayear, but not anymore. And there aren't any really 'local' steamers
inthe area.

But I agree -- they are much more like living, breathing 'beings'
thantoday's modern diesels.

And oh the whistles... I can still remember hearing the N&W 1218
blowingfor the first time. Such a low, mournful sound. It speaks on an
almostprimal level.

Ed

On Wed, May 23, 2012 at 1:19 PM, Thomas Conroy wrote:

> For me, even the memory of the smell of a locomotive is swamped by
> the> memory of its sound: the way it really seems to be breathing, not
> just> making noise, and the shudder of its breath fills the air around
> you> and in you and makes your own breath and heartbeat move at the
> same> rate. That's another one I haven't experienced for a long time,
> not> since the middle '70s.
>
> Tom Conroy
>
>
>  Ed Bell wrote:
>> Thomas Conroy wrote:
>>
>>> 230303 =C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 Phil Schempf wrote: "...I was in New
>>> Zealand and smelled a smell that was
>> familiar, but I couldn't place it.=C2=A0 Finally dawned on me it was
>> coal smoke
>>>
>>> It seems you never forget that spicy coal-forge smell.
>>
>> Or the smell of a coal fired steam locomotive.
>>
>> Ed
>>
------------------------------------------------------------------------

My dad took me to see a steam thresher when I was somewhere between 8 & 
12.  It was long before I saw an operating steam locomotive, but it 
stuck in my memory just the same.

When my late SWMBO and I got married, my former employer gave me a 
vintage photo of some men in a field, next to a thresher.  It hangs 
today in my home office.

Ed

On Wed, May 23, 2012 at 1:35 PM, John Ruth wrote:

Coal smoke & hot oil.......there's a CD album called "Songs of the Iron 
Men" by Christian Williams.  The best track is "Smoke on the Prairie", 
about the steam-powered threshing days.
"The smoke is gone from the prairie, and the boys from the cookshack 
door.
The whistle is silent forever, and its call is heard no more."

John Ruth

------------------------------------------------------------------------

On May 23, 2012, at 2:16 PM, Phil Schempf wrote:

> I grew up near the tracks

And this can still happen. My sister lived in Northern Ohio - Rocky
River just outside of Cleveland, and there is a set of tracks that ends
in Chicago that went by her back yard. About 2000, we heard that the
Norfolk and Western 611 http://tinyurl.com/77tlezm

was heading from Chicago to Cleveland and would pass through the area in
the afternoon. We didn't know what track but we took a chance and
started passing the football around with her 2 sons - 10 and 12 yrs old
or so - in the back yard. We hit the jackpot. The area has a crossroad
every 1/4 mile or so, so we heard the whistle coming from a loooong way
away. But wait - the engine stopped on a siding so that it was right at
the back fence - not 50 feet from where we stood and talked to the
engineer. This is one big beautiful engine, wonderfully restored and
impeccably maintained and we had a great 15 minutes getting our
breathing in sync with it. The kids still talk about it.

OT content - aw c'mon

Ed Minch

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Love the 611, IIRC PRR had some as well. Being raised in SoCal, we went
to the Knott's Berry farm annually where than ran (still run?) a steamer
with a train-robber show. The engine was farther away, so you got the
smoke but the main smell was the leather and wood of the interior.

At about 8, I went to the Sacramento railway museum for the first time.
If you like locomotives, it's fantastic. Amazing that:

http://www.csrmf.org/library-and-collections/full-size-railroad-
equipment/steam-locomotives/southern-pacific-cab-forward-no-4294

After 10+ years of sitting in the museum it smelled so strongly of oil.

I was also able to lurk around the Placerville (CA) museum where they
were (and probably still are) restoring a beautiful old shay loco. On
top of the usual odors there was welding and grinding smells. I want to
drive up there right now.

Knott's also had a blacksmith but I think they were required to use
natural gas, the smell of hot iron, oxidation a sweat is quite
unique though.

>>But I agree -- they are much more like living, breathing 'beings' than
>>today's modern diesels.

>>And oh the whistles... I can still remember hearing the N&W 1218
>>blowing for the first time. Such a low, mournful >>sound. It speaks on
>>an almost primal level.

These are the signs of an era where products were still the work of
craftsmanship and individuals. The tools and machines made from the late
Renaissance to ~1930s (depends on the industry) captured the people
making them as much as they represented a function.

Dare I say that is what draws many of us to old tools, a connection with
craftsmanship.

Brian J.M. Rytel brian.rytel@g...

On Wed, May 23, 2012 at 1:29 PM, Ed Minch <ruby@m...> wrote:
>
> On May 23, 2012, at 2:16 PM, Phil Schempf wrote:
>
>> I grew up near the tracks
>
> And this can still happen. =A0My sister lived in Northern Ohio - Rocky
> River just outside of Cleveland, and there is a set of tracks that
> ends in Chicago that went by her back yard. =A0About 2000, we heard
> that the Norfolk and Western 611
>
> http://tinyurl.com/77tlezm
>
> was heading from Chicago to Cleveland and would pass through the area
> in the afternoon. =A0We didn't know what track but we took a chance
> and started passing the football around with her 2 sons - 10 and 12
> yrs old or so - in the back yard. =A0We hit the jackpot. =A0The area
> has a crossroad every 1/4 mile or so, so we heard the whistle coming
> from a loooong way away.
>
> But wait - the engine stopped on a siding so that it was right at the
> back fence - not 50 feet from where we stood and talked to the
> engineer. =A0This is one big beautiful engine, wonderfully restored
> and impeccably maintained and we had a great 15 minutes getting our
> breathing in sync with it. =A0The kids still talk about it.
>
> OT content - aw c'mon
>
> Ed Minch
>
>
>
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
> OldTools is a mailing list catering to the interests of hand tool
> aficionados, both collectors and users, to discuss the history, usage,
> value, location, availability, collectibility, and restoration of
> traditional handtools, especially woodworking tools.
>
> To change your subscription options:
> http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools
>
> To read the FAQ: http://swingleydev.com/archive/faq.html
>
> OldTools archive: http://swingleydev.com/archive/
>
> OldTools@r... http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools
------------------------------------------------------------------------

On 5/23/2012 12:35 PM, John Ruth wrote:
> Ed just triggered a fond memory I wish to share with the Porch.  I've read a
number of anecdotes that describe smells as a very powerful memory trigger.
Here's mine:
>
>
>>> "...I was in New Zealand and smelled a smell that was familiar, but I
>>> couldn't place it. Finally dawned on me it was coal smoke
>>>
>>> It seems you never forget that spicy coal-forge smell.
>> Or the smell of a coal fired steam locomotive.
>>
> Ah, back in '87, about a year after my Mom had passed, my elderly father
wanted to make a last sentimental journey to the small town in northern Maine,
Patten, where he'd met my mother.
>
> As we were passing through Connecticut, I had an inspiration for a side trip
that turned out perfectly.  I detoured to The Valley RR in Essex, CT. Our random
arrival proved to be perfectly timed. I saw that the steam train was out on the
line.  Pop and I got out, strolled around looking at the static displays, which
he found very interesting.  Then he heard the steam whistle of the train
returning to the station.  Oh! You should have seen his face.  "How did you know
this was here???!!!" he said.  He had a great conversation with the engine crew.
As we were leaving he told me he'd never thought he'd see, hear, and SMELL a
steamer again.  He mentioned it many times afterward.
>
>
>
> Coal smoke&  hot oil.......there's a CD album called "Songs of the Iron Men"
by Christian Williams.  The best track is "Smoke on the Prairie", about the
steam-powered threshing days.
>
> "The smoke is gone from the prairie, and the boys from the cookshack door.
>
> The whistle is silent forever, and its call is heard no more."
>
>
>
>
John and All,

This thread brings back childhood memories for me.  I grew up in the 
'40s and '50s in Raleigh, NC.  It was a very small city in those days 
and even a child could walk across it and return home before supper time.

I grew up on the East side of town - to be precise on East Street - one 
laid out by the developers in 1790 when lots were first sold.  I lay 7 
city blocks East of the railroad tracks that came through town - the old 
Seaboard Air Line Railroad and the Silver Meteor and other famous 
passenger trains passed through.  But, the long haul trains are not what 
this thread evoked although I could identify their whistle sounds as 
being very different than the short haul trains.

The mention of the sounds and smells of steam locomotives reminds me of 
lying in bed on hot, sticky summer nights and listening to the huffing, 
puffing, squealing and belching going on in the train yards as men from 
my neighborhood made up and broke down trains by the car.  In the 
earlier evening, I could hear the roar of the crowd at the ballpark just 
beyond the tracks when something good happened for the Raleigh Caps - 
especially if it was a Friday night double header.  But, those steam 
locomotives 'hostling' cars around and making steam engine noises took 
my imagination to places I could only dream about.  They also helped put 
me to sleep as the night became more still and the sounds became more 
dominant.

Ah for an era that was not dominated by the sounds of the automobile, 
perhaps for just one week - to get it out my system and jolt me back to 
reality.

How many of you grew up in railroad terminus towns, where crews turned 
around and worked back to their home shops?

-- 
Bob Hutchins
Temple, TX, USA
Preserving ASCII art with every post

    \|||/
   ( © © )
ooO_(..)_Ooo_______ _________
_____|_____| _____|___ __|____
___|____|___ __|_____| _____|_
Kilroy Was Here!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

One of my few regrets in life is working in western Colorado when I was 19
(mid 60s) and not going to see the nearby Denver & Rio Grande RR while they
were still running narrow-gauge steam.  I do have vague recollections of
going the Mill Restaurant in Springfield IL (named for the Pillsbury Mills
across the street) and watching steam engines of the Chicago & Illinois
Midland RR shuffling grain hoppers (in) and box cars (out) for the mill.
 The C&IM is famous among diesel rail fans for owning the only two RS-1325
road switchers ever built by EMD (GM), which are still in service 52 years
later.

Steve
aKg

On Wed, May 23, 2012 at 4:19 PM, Ed Bell <neanderman@f...> wrote:

>
> My dad took me to see a steam thresher when I was somewhere between 8 &
> 12.  It was long before I saw an operating steam locomotive, but it stuck
> in my memory just the same.
>
> When my late SWMBO and I got married, my former employer gave me a vintage
> photo of some men in a field, next to a thresher.  It hangs today in my
> home office.
>
> Ed
>
> On Wed, May 23, 2012 at 1:35 PM, John Ruth wrote:
>
> Coal smoke & hot oil.......there's a CD album called "Songs of the Iron
> Men" by Christian Williams.  The best track is "Smoke on the Prairie",
> about the steam-powered threshing days.
> "The smoke is gone from the prairie, and the boys from the cookshack door.
> The whistle is silent forever, and its call is heard no more."
>
> John Ruth
>
>
> ------------------------------**------------------------------**
> ------------
> OldTools is a mailing list catering to the interests of hand tool
> aficionados, both collectors and users, to discuss the history, usage,
> value, location, availability, collectibility, and restoration of
> traditional handtools, especially woodworking tools.
>
> To change your subscription options:
>
http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/**mailman/listinfo/oldtools<http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools>
>
> To read the FAQ:
>
http://swingleydev.com/**archive/faq.html<http://swingleydev.com/archive/faq.html>
>
> OldTools archive:
http://swingleydev.com/**archive/<http://swingleydev.com/archive/>
>
> OldTools@r...**edu <OldTools@r...>
>
http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/**mailman/listinfo/oldtools<http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools>
>

-- 
Steve Jones
www.purdue.edu
www.kokomobeach.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------

They are still running at full steam (pun intended in case you didn't
notice) We were in Durango (home base) last October and they had many
trains a day running, last one in about dark.

On May 24, 2012, at 8:31 AM, Steve Jones wrote:

> One of my few regrets in life is working in western Colorado when I
> was 19 (mid 60s) and not going to see the nearby Denver & Rio Grande
> RR while they were still running narrow-gauge steam.
Ed Minch

------------------------------------------------------------------------

SNIP

But wait - the engine stopped on a siding so that it was right at the back
fence - not 50 feet from where we stood and talked to the engineer.  This is
one big beautiful engine, wonderfully restored and impeccably maintained and
we had a great 15 minutes getting our breathing in sync with it.  The kids
still talk about it.

END SNIP

My dad is an exceptionally skilled HO scale modeler with a passion from
childhood for steam engines.  I've seen dozens or more models and several of
the real thing under steam.  The most exciting, though, was pure good luck.
I had just gotten off the Burlington Zephyr in Kewanee, Illinois, when we
heard a steam whistle and turned around to watch.  We saw a black form and
heard power.  A lot of power.  Then through the station and down the CB&Q
main line ran the big articulated that is now in the museum of Science and
Industry in Chicago.  She was on her last run and the boys was having a
wide-open good time.

Those were the largest, most powerful railroad engines ever built, steam or
otherwise. 

I still see her in my mind, roaring away into history.  Gives me a lump in
the throat, to tell you the truth.

Joe

------------------------------------------------------------------------

On 5/24/2012 3:13 PM, Ed Minch wrote:
> They are still running at full steam (pun intended in case you didn't notice) 
We were in Durango (home base) last October and they had many trains a day
running, last one in about dark.
>
> Here in Texas we have 2 operating steam excursion trains.  One runs from North
of Austin to Bastrop (I think) and the other is in Northeast Texas in the Tyler
area.
Another steam excursion train is located in Dillsboro/Bryson City, NC.

I don't know if they still operate it, but 24 years ago there was a 
steam excursion train that rain from North Vancouver, BC up to a small 
logging community.  The deal was that you could take the train up and a 
boat back or vice versa.  The train engine was dubbed the Royal Hudson 
because it had once hauled the royals on a transcontinental journey.

Finally, I hope someone from the area can confirm or put the lie to 
this, but there used to be a place in NC called Spencer Shops (now just 
Spencer, I think) which is where the railroads (one or more, don't know) 
used to bring their rolling stock for repair and refurbishment.  It was 
a mighty shop for steam locomotives but I think that the reliability of 
diesels about put it out of business.  IIRC, someone has turned the 
repair facility into a working museum.  If you have ever heard the 
lyrics to the Wreck of the Old '97, you might remember that they 'had to 
get her into Spencer on time!'

Any other steam engines still running in the States or Canada?

-- 
Bob Hutchins
Temple, TX, USA
Preserving ASCII art with every post

    \|||/
   ( © © )
ooO_(..)_Ooo_______ _________
_____|_____| _____|___ __|____
___|____|___ __|_____| _____|_
Kilroy Was Here!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Thu, May 24, 2012 at 3:58 PM, Robert Hutchins <rhhutchins@h...> wrote:

> Any other steam engines still running in the States or Canada?

This one isn't in 'active' service, it's more of a tourist thing (35
mins each way for a round trip ride) but they still run it - I was up
there a few years ago for the day (passing through Port Alberni) and
we got to see it leave the station, we're planning on taking my little
guy up there this summer for a ride, he's all about Thomas right now
(two and a half) so he'll get a kick out of it ;)

The engine in question is a Baldwin 90 ton 2-8-2 ST.

Here's a link to their site for those who are interested:
http://www.alberniheritage.com/alberni-pacific-railway/welcome-alberni-pacific-steam-railway

-- 
Rudy X. Desjardins
pgp: 96FFA628
------------------------------------------------------------------------

On 5/24/2012 6:05 PM, Rudy X. Desjardins wrote:
> On Thu, May 24, 2012 at 3:58 PM, Robert Hutchins<rhhutchins@h...>  wrote:
>
>> Any other steam engines still running in the States or Canada?
> This one isn't in 'active' service, it's more of a tourist thing (35
> mins each way for a round trip ride) but they still run it - I was up
> there a few years ago for the day (passing through Port Alberni) and
> we got to see it leave the station, we're planning on taking my little
> guy up there this summer for a ride, he's all about Thomas right now
> (two and a half) so he'll get a kick out of it ;)
>
> The engine in question is a Baldwin 90 ton 2-8-2 ST.
>
> Here's a link to their site for those who are interested:
>
http://www.alberniheritage.com/alberni-pacific-railway/welcome-alberni-pacific-steam-railway
>
Be sure that he has been prepared for the very loud sounds.  My daughter 
was 4 when we did the Royal Hudson and she was very frightened by the 
noises.  We had the same issue when we took her to fireworks displays.

Just a thought to help you ensure that his experience is a pleasant and 
memorable one.

-- 
Bob Hutchins
Temple, TX, USA
Preserving ASCII art with every post

    \|||/
   ( © © )
ooO_(..)_Ooo_______ _________
_____|_____| _____|___ __|____
___|____|___ __|_____| _____|_
Kilroy Was Here!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bob-

I already mentioned the White Pass and Yukon, but thought some might get a
kick out of these photos on youtube -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9rwNQAeQgg&feature=related
Hope everybody likes Patsy Cline.

The steam engine only runs a short leg from Skagway across the pass to
Fraser Meadows, but I believe they still use the rotary plow to clear the
line in the spring before the tourists show up.

Phil

On Thu, May 24, 2012 at 2:58 PM, Robert Hutchins <rhhutchins@h...>wrote:

>
> Any other steam engines still running in the States or Canada?
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------

On 5/24/2012 4:58 PM, Robert Hutchins wrote:
> ...<snick>
>
> Any other steam engines still running in the States or Canada?
>
It's not a working train, but Calgary's Heritage Park has a small 
circuit running through the park. I don't get there very often, but I 
can hear the whistle from home!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBi4hKyzhQI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO3aztZkBfQ&feature=fvwrel

There's lots of steam on the 'tube.

Don

-- 
I have tried too in my time, to be a philosopher; but I don't know how, 
cheerfulness was always breaking in. - Oliver Edwards
------------------------------------------------------------------------

A great one is Strasburg PA, an hour west of Philly. The railroad has
been there since the 1850's and they are still using equipment that was
bought new for that line! (not in 1850 though). They give a one hour
tour through Amish farm fields that is quite charming.

http://www.strasburgrailroad.com/

And even little Wilmington DE has a couple of steam engines that
run nearby

http://www.wwrr.com/

On May 24, 2012, at 6:58 PM, Robert Hutchins wrote:

> Any other steam engines still running in the States or Canada?

Ed Minch

------------------------------------------------------------------------

On 5/24/2012 6:58 PM, Robert Hutchins wrote:
>
> Finally, I hope someone from the area can confirm or put the lie to 
> this, but there used to be a place in NC called Spencer Shops (now 
> just Spencer, I think) which is where the railroads (one or more, 
> don't know) used to bring their rolling stock for repair and 
> refurbishment.  It was a mighty shop for steam locomotives but I think 
> that the reliability of diesels about put it out of business.  IIRC, 
> someone has turned the repair facility into a working museum.  If you 
> have ever heard the lyrics to the Wreck of the Old '97, you might 
> remember that they 'had to get her into Spencer on time!'

The Spencer Shops are, indeed, still there are under the auspices (I 
believe...) of the North Carolina Transportation Museum.  It is one of 
the most complete, preserved railroad division points around.  I have 
not been there, but it's on my list of places to visit.

And there are a few other steam engines still running.  There is one 
that runs out of Cumberland, Md on an old Western Maryland RR line; I 
believe there is one that runs occasionally in Knoxville, TN; there is a 
group in Ft Wayne, IN that has a working engine, which they 'lease out' 
to organizations that have a place to run it (the owning group doesn't); 
there is one just north of Indianapolis that runs at least occasionally; 
and there is a museum in Chattanooga, TN that has at least two operating 
that run occasionally.  I know there are (at least 12, total, that run 
pretty regularly, but the locations of them all slip my mind.

In the East, Norfolk Southern has just started back up a steam program 
of sorts.  They don't do very many 'public' excursions, but the run 
trips for employees and customers.

And, finally, in the West, there are the two locomotives that Union 
Pacific maintains, one of which has never been formally retired, which 
makes it the only steam engine that has been in (relatively) continuous 
operation since it was built (ca the 1940's, I believe.)  Like NS, most 
of the trips they run are for employees and customers.

Both the NS and UP runs are especially impressive because they run their 
trips on their main lines, at track speed.  And if you've never stood 
track-side and felt a locomotive blow by at 60 to 80 mph, you haven't 
really lived.

The UP and NS schedules should be posted on their websites: 
http://www.up.com and http://www.nscorp.com, respectively.

Ed
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gentle Galoots,

I have an affinity for coal smoke, iron, and sawdust. In the foreseeable 
future I will return to these places as many times as possible. There I will 
revel in the sights, sounds, and scents of a time long ago that still exist 
today for those willing to seek them out.

Charlton Park, Hastings, Michigan
http://www.charltonpark.org/news_events/event_calendar.html/event/2012/07/13/41st-annual-gas-steam-engine-show
Blacksmith shop, carpentry shop, sawmill, steam engine shows, old tools and 
people happy to explain them.

Scotts Mill, Scotts Michigan,
http://www.kalcounty.com/parks/scottsmill/index.html
Tractors and tractor aficionados of all kinds visit on the weekend. The 
sawmill is powered by enthusiastic steamers, along with threshing machines 
and a very gizmotic dynamometer. If steam power isn’t big a big draw, the 
Flea Market is excellent.

Tillers International in Scotts, Michigan 
http://www.tillersinternational.org/tillers/classes_classesbydate.html
A rural setting with an actual school where shops, and barns timber framing, 
blacksmithing, carpentry, and a host of other skills are taught and 
treasured.

No direct affiliation but I did take the blacksmithing class at Tillers and 
visit the other sites whenever possible.

Snip
230303 Phil Schempf wrote:
"...I was in New Zealand and smelled a smell that was familiar, but I 
couldn't place it.  Finally dawned on me it was coal smoke, a smell I hadn't 
smelled since my granddad retired in the 60's."

It seems you never forget that spicy coal-forge smell. Ten or fifteen years 
ago I was visiting a small crafts center near Tuscaloosa and recognized the 
smell instantly. The interesting thing is that I couldn't remember where or 
when I had smelled it before. My best guess was that it had been thirty 
years or more, in the early years of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire (around 
1968) or maybe even when taking riding lessons at summer camp in the early 
'60s. But I just don't know.

Tom Conroy
Berkeley
Unsnip

------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Thu, 24 May 2012 17:58:50 -0500, you wrote:

The one I was familiar with, the Hocking Valley Railway in SE Ohio has
apparently switched to diesel since I left town. Maybe when they
complete the rebuild their steamer it will be put back in service.

The other one I remember is Cass Scenic Railway in WV. They have half a
dozen logging engines, and the last 11 miles of logging track in the
state. I saw one of the trains from a canoe down in the beginning parts
of the New River gorge shortly before we bent the Grumman into a banana
shape in one of the rapids. There is a freeway bridge further down the
gorge they close one day a year so people can parachute off it.
http://www.cassrailroad.com/

>On 5/24/2012 3:13 PM, Ed Minch wrote:
>> They are still running at full steam (pun intended in case you didn't
>> notice) We were in Durango (home base) last October and they had many
>> trains a day running, last one in about dark.
>>
>> Here in Texas we have 2 operating steam excursion trains. One runs
>> from North of Austin to Bastrop (I think) and the other is in
>> Northeast Texas in the Tyler area.
>Another steam excursion train is located in Dillsboro/Bryson City, NC.
>

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I thought they had a steam engine at one time... All of times I've been 
over (since ~92 or so), it's been diesel.

Ed

On 5/25/2012 12:07 AM, Roy wrote:
> On Thu, 24 May 2012 17:58:50 -0500, you wrote:
>
>
> The one I was familiar with, the Hocking Valley Railway in SE Ohio has
> apparently switched to diesel since I left town.  Maybe when they complete the
> rebuild their steamer it will be put back in service.
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.redwoodvalleyrailway.com/

The Redwood Valley Railway is a ridable miniature railroad in
TildenRegional Park near Berkeley, California, has to 1.25 miles of
track andover 160,000 passengers a year. The railroad uses 5" scale
model livesteam locomotives on a 15 in (381 mm) narrow gauge track.
Rides lastapproximately 12 minutes.

the above from the wikipedia entry, discussing more about train bitsand
gauges than I'll ever know,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redwood_Valley_Railway

But I DO know it was a favorite weekend haunt for the GIT and I whenshe
was tiny up thru elementary school. We'd go at least monthly andride in
the open cars thru the hills above the UC campus, Everyoneyells thru the
tunnel! great fun.

By the time she was seven she only wanted to ride in the coveredcaboose
cars, sometimes a bit a squeeze for her dad.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10735775@N.../7265893180/in/photostream

Michael S

I thought they had a steam engine at one time... All of times I've been
over (since ~92 or so), it's been diesel.

Ed

On 5/25/2012 12:07 AM, Roy wrote:
> On Thu, 24 May 2012 17:58:50 -0500, you wrote:
>
>
> The one I was familiar with, the Hocking Valley Railway in SE Ohio has
> apparently switched to diesel since I left town. Maybe when
> theycomplete the rebuild their steamer it will be put back in service.
>

http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 -

>From the number of messages regarding steam trains, I gather that there are a
lot more of them scattered all over the country than I had ever imagined. In
some cases steam engines are left out in the weather to eventually rot because
they are used as decorator items, kinda like painted saws. We have a big 8
wheeler sitting at the entrance to Fairmount Park here in Riverside. It is
fenced off to keep kids away. It has been parked on a short section of track
since before I came here in the middle 50's. Every so often it will get really
ugly and the city will throw on a coat of black paint. It has never been
maintained. The powers that be think it is just a wonderful decorator thing
sitting there looking ugly.

 I don't think I have seen mentioned the train that takes visitors from Williams
AZ to the Grand Canyon. You can drive your car to the Grand Canyon, but in
tourist season it is a real hassle to park.

Then there is the Railway Museum in Perris CA where they have a mess of steam
engine stuff and a short train ride. Several old time Boilermakers and
Machinists volunteer there to do maintenance.

I rode a narrow gauge logging train, I believe at Felton Ca, (maybe not, it has
been a very long time ago) where the train has to go forward and backward in
see-saw fashion to get up and down the mountainside. A train can't climb a very
steep grade. I am told this is common where there is no way to go around the
mountain, but I had never seen it before. I had always imagined that trains were
for long distance transport. I never thought about getting up and down the side
of a mountain range that goes on forever.

On May 24, 2012, at 10:07 PM, nicknaylo@a... wrote:

> http://www.redwoodvalleyrailway.com/
> 
> The Redwood Valley Railway is a ridable miniature railroad in Tilden Regional
Park near Berkeley, California, has to 1.25 miles of track and over 160,000
passengers a year. The railroad uses 5" scale model live steam locomotives on a
15 in (381 mm) narrow gauge track. Rides last approximately 12 minutes.
> 
> the above from the wikipedia entry, discussing more about train bits and
gauges than I'll ever know,
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redwood_Valley_Railway
> 
> But I DO know it was a favorite weekend haunt for the GIT and I when she was
tiny up thru elementary school. We'd go at least monthly and ride in the open
cars thru the hills above the UC campus, Everyone yells thru the tunnel! great
fun.
> 
> By the time she was seven she only wanted to ride in the covered caboose cars,
sometimes a bit a squeeze for her dad.
> 
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/10735775@N.../7265893180/in/photostream
> 
> Michael S
> 
> 
> 
> I thought they had a steam engine at one time... All of times I've been
> over (since ~92 or so), it's been diesel.
> 
> Ed
> 
> On 5/25/2012 12:07 AM, Roy wrote:
>> On Thu, 24 May 2012 17:58:50 -0500, you wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> The one I was familiar with, the Hocking Valley Railway in SE Ohio has
>> apparently switched to diesel since I left town.  Maybe when they 
> complete the
>> rebuild their steamer it will be put back in service.
>> 
> 
> http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> OldTools is a mailing list catering to the interests of hand tool
> aficionados, both collectors and users, to discuss the history, usage,
> value, location, availability, collectibility, and restoration of
> traditional handtools, especially woodworking tools.
> 
> To change your subscription options:
> http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools
> 
> To read the FAQ:
> http://swingleydev.com/archive/faq.html
> 
> OldTools archive: http://swingleydev.com/archive/
> 
> OldTools@r...
> http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools

------------------------------------------------------------------------

No one has mentioned Steamtown, right in the middle of PA:

http://www.nps.gov/stea/index.htm

You will see things like this:

http://www.nps.gov/stea/photosmultimedia/Steamtown-Scenes.htm

Ed Minch

------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Fri, May 25, 2012 at 6:05 AM, James Thompson <oldmillrat@m...> wrote:

>
> I rode a narrow gauge logging train, I believe at Felton Ca, (maybe not,
> it has been a very long time ago) where the train has to go forward and
> backward in see-saw fashion to get up and down the mountainside. A train
> can't climb a very steep grade. I am told this is common where there is no
> way to go around the mountain, but I had never seen it before. I had always
> imagined that trains were for long distance transport. I never thought
> about getting up and down the side of a mountain range that goes on forever.
>

That would be Roaring Camp, in Bill Kasper's backyard.

http://www.roaringcamp.com/

I think the back and forth might be in part due to vandals burning one of
their bridges, haven't been there in a few years.

Here is a list of their engines
http://www.roaringcamp.com/history

They also run a diesel from Santa Cruz to Felton and back.  Not quite as
nostalgic as the narrow guage

Kirk in Half Moon Bay, CA
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kirk - The "forward and backward in see-saw fashion" is the train
equivalent of trail switchbacks, needed for getting up steep slopes.
It's hard to get those trains to turn on a dime (smashing dimes might be
another random stream for this thread to go down), so they go forwards
on one leg of the switchback and backwards on the next. Obviously this
takes a lot of room to maneuver. Fortunately, there's a lot of space in
the Santa Cruz mountains.

Joe Parker Los Gatos, CA - at the base of those mountains

On Fri, May 25, 2012 at 8:23 AM, Kirk Eppler <eppler.kirk@g...> wrote:
>
> On Fri, May 25, 2012 at 6:05 AM, James Thompson
> <oldmillrat@m...> wrote:
>
> >
> > I rode a narrow gauge logging train, I believe at Felton Ca, (maybe
> > not, it has been a very long time ago) where the train has to go
> > forward and backward in see-saw fashion to get up and down the
> > mountainside. A train can't climb a very steep grade. I am told this
> > is common where there is no way to go around the mountain, but I had
> > never seen it before. I had always imagined that trains were for
> > long distance transport. I never thought about getting up and down
> > the side of a mountain range that goes on forever.
> >
>
>
> That would be Roaring Camp, in Bill Kasper's backyard.
>
> http://www.roaringcamp.com/
>
> I think the back and forth might be in part due to vandals burning one
> of their bridges, haven't been there in a few years.
>
> Here is a list of their engines http://www.roaringcamp.com/history
>
> They also run a diesel from Santa Cruz to Felton and back. =A0Not
> quite as nostalgic as the narrow guage
>
>
> Kirk in Half Moon Bay, CA
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
> OldTools is a mailing list catering to the interests of hand tool
> aficionados, both collectors and users, to discuss the history, usage,
> value, location, availability, collectibility, and restoration of
> traditional handtools, especially woodworking tools.
>
> To change your subscription options:
> http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools
>
> To read the FAQ: http://swingleydev.com/archive/faq.html
>
> OldTools archive: http://swingleydev.com/archive/
>
> OldTools@r... http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools
------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Fri, 25 May 2012 00:23:41 -0400, you wrote:

>I thought they had a steam engine at one time... All of times I've
>been>over (since ~92 or so), it's been diesel.
>
>Ed
>
You are correct. They switched to diesel some time after I moved. I
didn't post the link yesterday because they no longer have a working
steamer, but they seem to be trying to resolve that problem. I know they
had one in the 70's and 80's because you drove right past it on
Saturdays. They are restoring the 0-6-0. Here's a link. If you have
facebook, there is a further link with lots of photos of the
restoration.

http://www.hvsry.org/about_us/restorations.htm

I left the area in 86, and never did get a ride on the train. Boy did I
love living in Athens county. More than 25 years gone and I still miss
the area. Hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, wonderful friends, the
banjo factory, Camp OU, Sadie Hawkins Day, county fair, the
Frogwhompers, and hundreds of other wonderful memories of my youth. Now
I can't get this tune out of my head.

ATHENS COUNTY Jonathan Edwards

Way down in Athens CountyThat's where I amGoin' on the road tomorrowUp
to AmsterdamWay down in Athens CountyWe'll stop and have some wineAthens
CountyMarie and meWe're doin' fineSweet MariaNever long goneSweet
MariaNever long goneNever long gone
>On 5/25/2012 12:07 AM, Roy wrote:
>> On Thu, 24 May 2012 17:58:50 -0500, you wrote:
>>
>>
>> The one I was familiar with, the Hocking Valley Railway in SE Ohio
>> has apparently switched to diesel since I left town. Maybe when they
>> complete the rebuild their steamer it will be put back in service.
>>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>-
>OldTools is a mailing list catering to the interests of hand tool
>aficionados, both collectors and users, to discuss the history, usage,
>value, location, availability, collectibility, and restoration of
>traditional handtools, especially woodworking tools.
>
>To change your subscription options:
>http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools
>
>To read the FAQ: http://swingleydev.com/archive/faq.html
>
>OldTools archive: http://swingleydev.com/archive/
>
>OldTools@r... http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools

------------------------------------------------------------------------

(smashing dimes might be another random stream for this thread to
godown)

Just last weekend I was out with the GIT, had to park on the othersideof
the tracks to get where we were going and just missed an opportunityto
show this trick to the kid.

Michael S

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 -

On May 25, 2012, at 11:23 AM, Kirk Eppler wrote:

> I think the back and forth might be in part due to vandals burning one
> of their bridges, haven't been there in a few years.

I used to live in Wilmington DE, just 10 miles south of the Baldwin
Locomotive plant along the Delaware River in PA. There is a facility in
Wilmington that is now Amtrak's Eastern devision repair location, but it
used to belong the Pennsylvania Railroad for the same purpose. They
repaired GG-1 early electric locomotives there until Amtrak quit using
them in 1983.

One of my neighbors (now passed) was a mechanic there, and his special
skill was replacing the giant bushing that connected the 2 drive
trucks. tremendous forces and they need to be replaced every few years,
The pin was a 3" steel pin, so the bushing was 3" inside and very big
on the outside.

He told of a time when Baldwin would test every engine they built by
firing it up and running it at speed down to near where he was working,
then turning it around for the trip back on a set of 2 "Y" branches -
straight into one, back into the next, the forward after being turned
around. He said there was always one a day and sometimes 3-4. Even
though he worked on electrics, he loved those steamers.

Here is the GG-1 is in PA RR colors - 1930's to 1968 - talk about iconic

http://www.fanpop.com/spots/amtrak/images/19397393/title/amtrak-gg1-
photo

Here it is in Penn Central colors after 1968 (are those actually
colors?)

http://www.fanpop.com/spots/amtrak/images/19397393/title/amtrak-gg1-
photo

And here it is in Amtrak colors after 1973(?)

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/tr_amtk902.jpg

And the last few of them were put in maintenance duty for a while
after 1983

http://tinyurl.com/86havkq

Are we far enough afield yet??

Ed Minch I am addicted to brake fluid but I can stop any time.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

yep, that's felton. i hear the whistle of the steam train any time they
run it. i work five miles from there, by line of hearing. goes up to the
top of bear mountain, and it's a lot of fun. so is the diesel into santa
cruz, we've done both a number of times.

they're doing work on a new steam engine cab, afaict, but i only have
seen it on my drive to work.

bill felton, ca

On May 25, 2012, at 8:23 AM, Kirk Eppler wrote:

> On Fri, May 25, 2012 at 6:05 AM, James Thompson
> <oldmillrat@m...> wrote:
>>>>> I rode a narrow gauge logging train, I believe at Felton Ca,
>>>>> (maybe not,
>> it has been a very long time ago) where the train has to go forward
>> and backward in see-saw fashion to get up and down the mountainside.
>> A train can't climb a very steep grade. I am told this is common
>> where there is no way to go around the mountain, but I had never seen
>> it before. I had always imagined that trains were for long distance
>> transport. I never thought about getting up and down the side of a
>> mountain range that goes on forever.
>>>>> That would be Roaring Camp, in Bill Kasper's backyard.
>> http://www.roaringcamp.com/ I think the back and forth might be in
>> part due to vandals burning one of
> their bridges, haven't been there in a few years.
>> Here is a list of their engines
> http://www.roaringcamp.com/history
>> They also run a diesel from Santa Cruz to Felton and back. Not
>> quite as
> nostalgic as the narrow guage
>>> Kirk in Half Moon Bay, CA
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
> OldTools is a mailing list catering to the interests of hand tool
> aficionados, both collectors and users, to discuss the history, usage,
> value, location, availability, collectibility, and restoration of
> traditional handtools, especially woodworking tools.
>> To change your subscription options:
> http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools
>> To read the FAQ:
> http://swingleydev.com/archive/faq.html
>> OldTools archive: http://swingleydev.com/archive/ OldTools@r...
> http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------

On 5/25/2012 8:05 AM, James Thompson wrote:
> > From the number of messages regarding steam trains, I gather that there are
a lot more of them scattered all over the country than I had ever imagined. In
some cases steam engines are left out in the weather to eventually rot because
they are used as decorator items, kinda like painted saws. We have a big 8
wheeler sitting at the entrance to Fairmount Park here in Riverside. It is
fenced off to keep kids away. It has been parked on a short section of track
since before I came here in the middle 50's. Every so often it will get really
ugly and the city will throw on a coat of black paint. It has never been
maintained. The powers that be think it is just a wonderful decorator thing
sitting there looking ugly.
>   <snip>
We have an old steam engine (Baldwin, I think) sitting as a statue here 
in Temple, TX.  In fact, a few years ago the city sold off the museum 
building where it sat out front and had to move it.  The relocated it 
about a mile away over city streets.  It was a grand production.

-- 
Bob Hutchins
Temple, TX, USA
Preserving ASCII art with every post

    \|||/
   ( © © )
ooO_(..)_Ooo_______ _________
_____|_____| _____|___ __|____
___|____|___ __|_____| _____|_
Kilroy Was Here!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

On 5/25/2012 10:56 AM, nicknaylo@a... wrote:
>
>
> (smashing dimes might be another random stream for this thread to go 
> down)
>
> <snip>
My grandmother was born on April 7, '61, and grew up during the US Civil 
War and the period of Reconstruction that was its aftermath.   Let's 
just say that Lincoln got no respect in our family; so the coin of 
choice for the anticipated passing of a train was the good old penny!  
In addition to squashing the much maligned, it was cheap.

-- 
Bob Hutchins
Temple, TX, USA
Preserving ASCII art with every post

    \|||/
   ( © © )
ooO_(..)_Ooo_______ _________
_____|_____| _____|___ __|____
___|____|___ __|_____| _____|_
Kilroy Was Here!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

GG,
 The steam engines were still around when I was born ('49)but were on their way
out. So most of my memories are from a young age...My favorite memory comes from
'55 or so.
 We lived in Lubbock, Tx. (Hub of the Plains) and my aunt (dad's sis) lived in
Plainview, TX. 42 miles away, a trip we made often. The two lane blacktop
paralleled the RR track and they were probably less than a hundred feet apart.
 Both were pool table flat and straight as an arrow. I remember racing headlong
down the hiway trying to keep-up with a Huge steam locomotive (remember I was 6,
so it really was Huge to me)...pulling what must've been 50 0r 60 ? freight
cars. Hanging out the window and waving at the engineer, him waving back and
reaching for the whistle....and then the long mournful notes as he said "Look at
me I'm king of the world!!!: The old '50 plymouth station wagon with it's
flathead six just wasn't up to it and the train accelerated away from us until
it was a memory and a trail of smoke headed toward the horizion. Several times
we came across a train on a siding waiting for an opposing train to pass; we
would always stop and dad, my brother and I would walk to the engine to ohhh and
ahhhh. Sighing and hissing and crackling and poping waiting to again be let
loose of fly across the plains.
 In the years since I've ridden a couple tourist trip trains and seen others but
no memory has superceded the impressions of a 6 yr. old!!!
Roy Griggs
roygriggs@v...

------------------------------------------------------------------------

>
>> Any other steam engines still running in the States or Canada?

We have one here in Coldwater Michigan. The Little River Railroad takes
you from Coldwater to Quincy and back. Lot of people will show up just
to take pictures as it pulls out of the station. It was cruising about
today for the Civil War re-enactment weekend.

Bad Andy

------------------------------------------------------------------------